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The Foundation researches and educates on women’s issues to acknowledge barriers and identify opportunities.

Commissioned by the WNY Women’s Foundation and created by UB Regional Institute, the 2010 Pathways to Progress Report examined the issues facing women and girls in our community. The report started an ongoing region-wide dialogue about the best ways to support and elevate women and girls.

Pathways to Progress, Vol. 2, a report created by the WNY Women’s Foundation, keeps us moving forward. The new report expands the dialogue with updated data that explore the current status of women and girls in WNY. By diving into the barriers women face throughout their lifespans, the report highlights opportunities and success stories. This educational tool is available to the community thanks to the generous support of the James H. Cummings Foundation, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Health Foundation of Western & Central NY, John R. Oishei Foundation, Joy Family Foundation, Patrick P. Lee Foundation, SEFCU, and WNY Foundation.

Download Pathways to Progress, Vol. 2. Read it, digest, and find the connections that you can make to the women and girls in your family, community, and work. The full reference list for the report is available for download and many of the reports cited are included in this data hub.

In our effort to educate the community and raise awareness, the Foundation has curated research and organized it by topic area. The research below can be filtered by topic with citations and links to original researchers. Alternately, it can be sorted by date of publication. Contact us if your organization has a report to include.

The Economic Cost of Intimate Partner Violence

Realizing gender equality’s $12 trillion economic opportunity

Narrowing the gender gap will result in a large potential for economic growth. This report estimates the tangible progress in both work and society needed to capture this potential and the spending on essential services needed to spur that progress.

Black and Hispanic Women Lag in Recovering from the Recession

Unemployment among Young Women Before and After the Recession by Age, Race, and Ethnicity

Gender Differences in Voter Turnout

In recent elections, voter turnout rates for women have equaled or exceeded voter turnout rates for men. Women, who constitute more than half the population, have cast between four and seven million more votes than men in recent elections

First study focused on “adultification” of black girls shows significant bias toward girls starting at age 5, younger than in previous research on black boys

Watching Gender How Stereotypes in Movies and TV Impact Kids’ Development

"Our comprehensive research review shows that children who are fed gender stereotypes may internalize those roles, shaping their behavior for years to come and that girls aren’t alone in their struggles with restrictive identity norms."

Third-Grade Proficiency in Erie County

The importance of third-graders performing with grade-level proficiency and the proficiency level of third graders in Erie County.

Women in State Government: Still Too Few

In recent years the movement of women into state-level offices has slowed after several decades of gains. Efforts to actively recruit women for elective and appointive positions will be critical in determining what the future holds for women in state government.

The Status of Black Women in the United States

The Status of Black Women in the United States seeks to address the gap in research on Black women’s well-being and to provide data that can inform policy and programmatic changes to benefit Black women and their families.

Closing the Skills Gap

The “skills gap” in the United States is serious. Here is how to do better.

Supports that Matter in Workforce Development Programs

This report captures participant perspectives on the role of supportive services in facilitating their success in job training, the availability of supportive services, the unmet needs of participants, and the significance of job training for them.

Women in the Workplace 2017

A comprehensive study of the state of women in the workforce

The State of Gender Equality in the Workplace 2016

Findings on the wide range of issues affecting women in the workplace, ranging from how employers can attract and recruit women, to what areas of focus will help them retain women, and what corporate practices and employer benefits correlate with women's job satisfaction.

Women in the Workplace 2016

Women in the Workplace 2016 is a comprehensive study of the state of women in corporate America.

WNY Girls in Sports

The purpose of this report is to explore the following questions: 1. Are girls in Buffalo active and playing sports, and do gender disparities exist? 2. What opportunities exist for girls to play sports in Buffalo? 3. What barriers are most identified as hindering sports participation locally? 4. How have these barriers been overcome for urban girls in other cities?

Child care costs in New York among nation’s worst

Ongoing increases in child care costs are putting a strain on families across the country, with New York being the least financially accessible.

The Gender Wage Gap and Public Policy

The basic facts about the gender wage gap, summarizing data on earnings differences between women and men by race and ethnicity, education, and occupation and reasons for the gender wage gap, its consequences for women and their families, and policies that can help to close it.

IInvesting in strategies that promote women’s wealth not only improves women’s financial status, but also the financial status of subsequent generations and improves our nation’s economy.

Women Give

Women Give 2016 investigates how giving by young adults has changed over four decades, according to gender. It also explores how women’s role in the family and in decision-making about giving has changed over time and how this impacts giving.

Advancing girls and women in the STEM field by looking at stereotypes and biases, social relevance, cultivating a sense of belonging and changing the environment.

Poverty Interrupted

Applying Behavioral Science to the Context of Chronic Scarcity

How and Why Women Give

The purpose of this literature review is to summarize the existing academic research on women, gender, and philanthropy and create a comprehensive picture of what we know about women’s giving and gender differences in giving today.

A comprehensive study of the state of women in corporate America

The Status of Women in the States

The Status of Women in New York, 2015: Highlights

Perspectives in Philanthropy: The Advancement of Women and Girls

The Advancement of Women and Girls” includes a broad range of articles that highlight the tremendous work both individuals and institutions are engaged in to empower women and girls all over the world.

Annual Report on the State of Homelessness in WNY

Key findings and recommendations to address homelessness in WNY

Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced, & Underprotected

The research reflected in this report was designed to elevate the voices of Black girls and other girls of color affected by punitive policies so as to deepen our understanding of the ways they experience inhospitable educational environments and to produce recommendations designed to eliminate those inequities.

Record share of Americans have never married

Values, economics, and gender patterns change

Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls: A Call to Action for Educational Equity

This report shines a spotlight on the barriers faced by African American girls and women, and the impact on their lives. It contains recommendations for educators, school leaders, communities, advocates, policymakers, and philanthropic organizations to take action to advance the success of African American girls.

Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers

The subtle gender bias that persists in organizations and in society disrupts the learning cycle at the heart of becoming a leader.

Women in the Workplace: A Research Roundup

A compilation of research by business, psychology, and sociology scholars offers a window into women’s collective experiences in the workplace, confirming some intuitive notions and calling others into question.

Paid Family Leave: A Crucial Support for Breastfeeding

Although workplace supports for breastfeeding are increasingly gaining attention, and the new federal healthcare law is already changing employer practices in this regard, balancing work and breastfeeding continues to be a major challenge for new mothers.

Rising financial burdens for middle-aged Americans

Women as mentors: Does she or doesn’t she?

A global study of businesswomen and mentoring.

The State of Girls: Unfinished Business

The report contains current statistical indicators and projections about the future that are focused on key issues such as the health, safety, and educational achievement of girls, as well as demographic trends.

Quality: What it Is and Why it Matters in Early Childhood Education

This policy brief explains why quality matters, demonstrates what quality looks like, and details how it should be measured.

High Potentials in the Pipeline: Leaders Pay it Forward

Key findings, illustrative quotes, and questions for consideration included throughout this report are designed to encourage reflection on how talent is identified and developed within your organization.